This must be... a dream.
'I'm dead… I'm dead… I'm freakin' dead for reals this time.'
Again my vision blurred in and out, (nostalgic much?) but my eyes finally adjusted and I was surrounded by complete whiteness. I pushed myself up and realized I was on a bed. People always ask at this moment, 'Am I in heaven?' but I assessed what I saw around me and pretty much figured out I was in the hospital.
*PHEW!* I breathed in and out deeply. 'What an odd dream I had… it was very pretty though… 'til the end at least… stupid cat monster…' I wondered how long I had been out and hoped a nurse would come along and explain to me who found me and took me to the hospital; that ditch could barely be seen from the freeway… maybe someone was kayaking or something on the lake and saw me. I looked around, hoping to find a call button of some sort but nothing… 'This must be some old-fashioned hospital… looks nothing like the hospital in my hometown… did I get taken somewhere else?' No TVs, no beeping electronics, no technology. There was a window to my right and a curtain closed to my left, I assumed maybe another patient was there. I got up and peeked open the curtain and to my expectation it was empty… no one occupied the other bed. I had the whole room to myself, which was nice since it's kinda bothersome to have someone else in what they say is your so-called private hospital room. So, I layed back down on my bed and waited… and waited.
Finally, I heard the door creak open. Someone was coming in. The door opened so slow it made the creaking and squeaking seem like it lasted forever. I sat up hoping to talk to the nurse instead of having her just check my vitals but when the curtain opened up I was so baffled I couldn't understand anything that was in front of me. Was it a huge TV? Was it a robot? Or maybe a life-size cardboard cutout with someone somehow moving it to make it look real? It came closer to me with a smirk turned to cheesy smile… and I could see I was clearly going out my mind. Maybe that was it. I was in an asylum; I went insane after my accident… but then it came to the left of me and opened its mouth. He spoke…
'What did he just say!' I was clearly out of my mind, this just couldn't be happening. My jaw dropped as he looked at me in a surprised funny way.
"Konnichiwa! Ogenki desu ka?" (Hi! How are you!) he repeated himself and smiled politely at me again. I looked down at his feet hoping he was a huge TV screen and had subtitles at the bottom… Nope! I was clearly going nuts. So, I screamed.
"AAAAAaaaaaahhhh!" He took a step back and dropped a flower he had been holding in his hand. His expressions changed from scared to concerned to confused. I closed my eyes tightly, hoping it was just some weird vision and hearing distortion… some REALLY but VERY EXTREMELY WEIRD distortion of some sort. But when I opened my eyes again I saw his confused face right in front of mine.
"Yoi ka?" (Are you ok?) I looked at him perplexed. I couldn't understand how this was happening. 'This must be some CRAZY dream….and if not then this is clearly not home… actually, not even my world! HA! I'm going nuts…' I lifted up my hand up, even though I was extremely tense out of being super confused and stressed, and managed to extend my index finger and curl the rest of them into my palm. As my hand kept reaching to discover if he was real, he looked at my hand and followed it until it lightly touched his cheek with the very tip of my pointing finger.
"Eek!" I squeaked and backed away from his face. 'He's real alright… at least in this dream he is.' He backed away and gave me a more confused look. He scratched his head,
"Chotto fukakai ni koudou shiteiru. Kono hen karadearunaika?" (You're acting kinda weird. You're not from around here are you?) I looked at him confused but the realized… 'He's speaking Japanese… Damn it! Why didn't I pay attention in Jap. 101! Stupid me…' I looked down and hoped I could remember something so I could at least communicate with him in a way…
"N-n-nani?" (W-w-what?) is all I could stutter out. He looked at me funny and repeated himself.
"Kono hen karadearunaika? Chottookashii hanasu." (You're not from around here are you? You speak kinda funny.) He looked at me as if I was some puzzle he was trying to decipher.
"I don't speak Japanese." I hoped he would maybe understand that, even if it was English. He looked at me like if the puzzle was too hard for him to figure out.
"Naniwo itsutta ka?" (What did you say?) He was clearly baffled by the words and language that came out of my mouth. I started remembering the few words I knew so that he could maybe understand.
"Nihon-go hanashimasen." 'I don't speak Japanese… I hope I said that right… I wonder if he even knows that he speaks Japanese…'
"E? Watashi ha sorewo ena i." (Huh? I don't get it.) He kept staring at me like if something was wrong with me.
"Naruto... kanojo nodake nokosu. Kanojo hakokokarahakkirinaishi, watashitachi no iu kotogawakaranaiyoudehanai." (Naruto… leave her alone. She's clearly not from here and doesn't seem to understand us.) A voice came from behind the curtain. A tall, white haired guy, and handsome I might add, stood behind him. I was surprised that I didn't hear or see him come in but in all the confusion I was just in awe. This just felt so real… at least in my dream it felt real… but if it was all real then how could I be dreaming? I couldn't understand how anything was happening. Kakashi came closer to me.
"Onamae wa nan desuka?" (What's your name?) He questioned me kindly but with some authority. At least I understood that question… ah Jap. 101 memories.
"Linda." I replied showing that I still might understand simple questions.
"Rinda ... sore ha kokoni kyoutsuu no namae dehanai." (Rinda… that's not a common name here.) He looked at Naruto who was still looking at me funny. I looked up at Kakashi, scared, thinking maybe they we're going to do something to me since I was a stranger. Kakashi just maintained his examining gaze.
"Shitagatte watashitachi ga hokage nianatatosurebaiinoka tsure te iki, naniwo haaku surukotowo watashi watashitachi no iu kotogawakaranaiyoudehanainode, katei shinasai." (So, since you don't seem to understand us I suppose we'll take you to the Hokage and figure out what to do with you.) Kakashi looked at me with a slight smile. I only guessed at what he might have said to me… all I understood was Hokage.
'Hmmm… I guess they're gonna talk to the Hokage or somethin'…' I just looked down at my bed and hugged my covered up legs. Kakashi walked out just like he came in. Naruto then sat down on my bed and smiled at me.
"Watashi no namae ha naruto dearu. Ae teureshii !" (My name's Naruto. Nice to meet ya'!) He grinned at me. I smiled back, weakly then went back to looking down.
"Watashitachi ha atta sono neko monsutaa niyotte kougeki sare, tedasuke sareta ..." (We saw you being attacked by that cat monster and helped you out…) He realized I wasn't paying attention to him. He touched my arm and I looked up at him as he smiled kindly.
"Watashi ha choudo watashi wo shitte ireba kyoka shinasaiosoraku watashi no iu kotogawakaranai nande mo hitsuyou tosurebakotowo kakunin dekiru ." (I know you probably don't understand me but if you need anything, just let me know.) He then got up and saw the little flower he had in his hand earlier on the floor and picked it up.
"Kokoni. Sore ha anatano tamedearu." (Here. It's for you.) Naruto put the flower in front of me. It was a little tattered but it's the thought that counts right? I smiled lightly and took it from his hand.
"A-ari... gatou go… zaimasu." I thanked him the best I could. He smiled at me and turned around and walked to the door. He stopped at the door and looked back at me.
"Yoi." (You'll be ok.) He murmured as he closed the door. I didn't really know what he said but I imagined it was something nice… at least I hoped it was something nice.
So I sat there, holding and examining the pretty flower. It felt real. It looked weird but it was still pretty. I sniffed it and it smelled very nice. I put the flower in a little vase that sat empty on a table next to my bed. I figured that the only way to get out of this weird dream was to figure out a way to wake myself up. So, I pinched myself, right in my left under arm. Nothing… but it hurt. I slapped myself… hurt even more but still I found myself in the hospital bed.
"Well, nothin' else to do then just ride this dream out I guess." I convinced myself. It was quiet... and for once in my life... I didn't want to be alone. I lay back down and faced the window. I could see all of Konoha's bright building colors as the sun shined as it hung on the bright blue sky.
"Maybe be if I fall asleep… I'll wake up." I yawned, closed my eyes and dosed off.